Thursday, July 31, 2014

The Bureau of Land Management's retreat from an armed confrontation
with protesters during its roundup of cows in Bunkerville, Nev., will
inspire more anti-government violence in the coming year, according to a
new intelligence report from the Department
of Homeland Security.

The July 22 assessment from DHS's Office of Intelligence and Analysis also found
the United States has experienced a spike in anti-government violence
or plots over the past several months compared with previous years,
fueled, in part, by the perception that armed
militia were victorious at Cliven Bundy's Nevada ranch, the assessment
warned.

The assessment highlighted three incidents since April that appear to
be connected to the events in Bunkerville, including the gunning down
of two Las Vegas police officers, a threat that Texas militiamen will
"exterminate" federal officials who attempt
a "land grab," and discussions by a Missouri-based militia movement
about attacking federal convoys or helicopters it believed could be used
to raid Bundy's ranch.

Information in the unclassified assessment was deemed “law
enforcement sensitive” and “not to be released” to the public or media. A
spokesperson for DHS did not immediately verify its authenticity this
morning.

"The belief among militia extremists that their threats and show of
force against the BLM during the April Bunkerville standoff was a
defining victory over government oppression is galvanizing some
individuals -- particularly militia extremists and violent
lone offenders -- to actively confront law enforcement officials,
increasing the likelihood of violence," the assessment states. "This
perceived success will likely embolden other militia extremists and
like-minded lone offenders to attempt to replicate these
confrontational tactics and force future armed standoffs with law
enforcement and government officials in 2014."

The assessment was released this morning by the government
watchdog group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, or
PEER.

It comes weeks after the Alabama-based Southern Poverty Law Center, a
nonprofit that monitors hate groups, came to a similar conclusion that
the Bundy standoff could inspire more violence against the government (E&ENews
PM, July 11).

According to the DHS report, the spike in anti-government violence
and plots since last November is a "departure" from previous years and
is driven by perceived government restrictions on gun use, land and
property, the assessment said.

Some violent incidents appear to be inspiring future attacks, it
said. For example, the husband and wife accused of shooting the two Las
Vegas police officers in June left a note explaining that the attack was
the start of a "revolution" and a "new day."

"Though the initial tipping point or cause of this spike in violence
remains unclear ... some of these incidents are likely intended to
inspire additional violent attacks, resulting in a greater rate of
attacks than in the prior four years," the assessment
found.

The office has recorded five such incidents of anti-government
violence or arrests for violent plotting since last November, compared
with just three
incidents in the prior 46 months.

PEER blasted BLM's retreat at Bunkerville.

"Like pumping [bellows] onto a smoldering ember, Interior's
retreat in Nevada this spring, abetted by related reckless political
rhetoric, appears to be encouraging and empowering dangerous right-wing
extremists," said a statement by PEER Southwest Director
Daniel Patterson, who formerly worked for BLM. "This is a form of
domestic terrorism which demands a swift, clear and definitive
response."

BLM said it stood down in the Bundy standoff to protect its employees
and the public and that it still intends to bring Bundy to justice for
illegally grazing his cows.

But its decision to cancel the roundup triggered criticism,
particularly among environmentalists, over the signal it sent to other
states' rights advocates who disagree with the agency's land-management
policies.

In May, a Utah county commissioner openly flouted BLM's closure of
Recapture Canyon to motorized vehicles by leading an all-terrain vehicle
protest ride. Though the ride had been planned before the Bundy
incident, it was seen as another illustration of BLM's
limitations in enforcing federal land laws.